The Game
by butterflyoreo75
Summary: A young girl has been kidnapped and will be murdered unless the team manages to find her in time. The catch? The suspect leaves clues to her whereabouts through a series of riddles and tasks. One wrong move or one wrong answer will get the girl killed. Can the team find her before it's too late?
1. Greetings From the Master

****Hello all. I started this story a long time ago but didn't know where to go with it. It's been a while, but I have decided to work on it again ,and improve on the first two chapters as I do so. Hope you enjoy! (9/27/14).****

****The Game****

****Greetings from the Master****

"Mail just came," Lisbon announced. "And there's a letter addressed to us."

"As in all of us?" asked Cho curiously.

"To the team of Agent Lisbon," Lisbon quoted off the envelope.

"Oh, cute, it even has a butterfly sticker on the seal," Jane remarked with a smile as he snatched the envelope out of Lisbon's hand and tore it open, ignoring her irritated look. He unfolded the paper with a flourish and read the typed letter aloud:

__Dear Agent Lisbon and her team,__

__ It has been said that you and your colleagues are among the most qualified agents of the California Bureau of Investigation. Personally, I don't buy such high praise, but I am willing to allow you to prove me wrong. I have set up a little game which I think we will all enjoy. On the back of this letter is an address. If you go to this address, you will find the woman I killed. She was quite beautiful, and I was sorry to watch her die, but it had to be done. She wore a cross around her neck, so I sent her to a better place I suppose. __

__ When you arrive, don't bother looking for forensic evidence, because you won't find any. What you will find, however, is a photograph of a young girl, accompanied by something else which you should find most intriguing. I would just tell you what it is but trust me, it will be much more exciting for you to find out on your own. The girl is currently under my supervision. Don't worry, she is being treated well enough...so far. To find her, all you have to do is follow the clues and solve the riddles I will leave for you. Hurry though, if you don't solve the riddles in time, she will die. If I'm being honest, I'd have to say its one of my more creative ideas. Better hurry, the clock's ticking, and soon everyone will know whether or not you're all as clever as they say you are.__

__Until next time,__

__The Master__

Jane turned the letter over, and read out the address as a stunned silence overtook the rest of the team.

"It could just be a hoax," Van Pelt said shakily, though she didn't really believe her own words.

"I don't think so," said Lisbon, as she copied down the address into her phone's GPS program. "We'd better go check it out. Cho, you get that letter down to forensics. If this is real, I don't want to waste any time."

Cho picked up the letter with some gloves and hurried off, while the rest of the team headed for the potential crime scene. Lisbon called Wainwright on the way, quickly explaining the contents of the letter. She also put a medical examiner and emergency response team on stand-by.

They arrived at their destination around twenty minutes later. The address had lead them to an old abandoned warehouse. The words _Morten's Drilling Co._ could barely be made out on the side of the building with the help of the vehicles' headlights. Lisbon and Jane pulled up slowly, followed by Van Pelt and Rigsby. The team got out of their vehicles, and drew their guns. Even if there was nothing to be found, they didn't intend to leave anything to chance. "We don't know what we're going to find in there," said Lisbon, eyeing her team briefly before turning back towards the dilapidated building. "So keep your eyes open and ears peeled."

"You do know the killer isn't here, right?" Jane asked Lisbon.

"We can't know that for sure," the head agent said pointedly as her eyes scanned the surrounding area.

"He told us he didn't leave behind any forensic evidence," Jane reminded her. "If he went to all the trouble of cleaning up, why would he wait around for us to show up? Besides, he's much to excited about his little 'game' to put himself in such a risk."

Lisbon sighed. She knew Jane was probably right, but protocol was protocol.

And maybe a part of her was hoping they'd get lucky and find him there. She wasn't really looking forward to being forced to participate in the twisted little world he'd created.

"He could have an accomplice. We're clearing the area, we're following protocol." Without waiting for a response, or rather ignoring Jane's comment about how no one would be there because the letter suggested someone much too egotistical to have a partner, Lisbon motioned her team forward.

Within moments, the team was at the entrance to the warehouse. No one knew whether to be pleased or worried that the beams from their flashlights revealed an unlocked door. They opened the door cautiously and began sweeping the area. All was quiet, but one never knew what could be hiding in the shadows.

It didn't take long for the woman's body to be discovered, she was lying just a few meters into the building behind a large metal pillar. "Over here," Grace yelled to her team-mates, bending down slightly to examine the corpse. The woman was lying on her back, a gunshot wound to heart. Her left eye was bruised, and blood surrounded her petite form. There was a slight bulge in the pocket of her jeans, but she'd have to wait for forensics before she could touch the body. She waited as Rigsby and Lisbon finished clearing the building.

"It looks like she tried to fight back," Lisbon said, motioning to the bruise. "Van Pelt, bring Jane in. I want his take on this," she said as she dug her phone out of her pocket to call it in. She looked around the room as she talked on the phone, her trained eye looking for clues about the killer that would be invisible to a non-professional.

Grace returned with Jane just as Lisbon was finishing her phone conversation.

"Forensics is on its way, but what do you make of this?"

Jane studied the victim a moment. "Judging by the bruise and position of the body, I'd guess she was attacked by someone she knew."

"How do you know that?" Rigsby asked.

"Well, for starters, she came to an abandoned warehouse. The blood indicates she was killed on site. Clearly, no one's been selling drills here for a long time. So why come here unless it was to meet with someone in secret. Namely, her killer. Maybe this will tell us more," Jane said, as he reached into her pocket. He pulled out a small tape recorder, on which was taped a note that read 'Please listen to me.' "Aww, look," Jane smiled and pointed at the note. "How polite."

"Jane, what are you doing?" Lisbon scolded. "There could be finger prints on that!"

"Oh, relax. I already told you that you aren't going to find any DNA from the killer. He's not stupid enough to leave his fingerprints on something so obvious."

"Maybe they were in on it together," piped up Grace before Lisbon could scold Jane further, "But the deal went sour, and our suspect turned on her. But why would they be here in the first place?"

"Perhaps the suspect told us himself," Jane said, finger poised above the play button.

"Hopefully, forensics can help us find the clues to figure that out," Lisbon said, snatching the object out of Jane's hand. She ignored his gasp of protest, "I want forensics to dust the tape for fingerprints. At least you didn't have time to compromise _that._" She hurried over to meet them and explain the situation. The group wasted no time in processing the scene.

"Time of death?" asked Lisbon, eyeing the liver probe inserted into the victim.

"Based on my calculations, I'd say about twelve hours ago, give or take a few minutes for margin of error. Based on the bruise surrounding her eye and the relative swelling, I'd say her attacker knocked her out before he killed her. Brush burn marks on the backs of her shoes and the scuff marks on her shoes indicate she was dragged, and not too delicately. There are defensive wounds on her arms, and a gunshot wound to the heart seems to be the obvious cause of death, but I'll have to take her back to the lab to be sure. However based on the preliminary findings I'd say she struggled, was knocked out, dragged to this spot, shot, and left to die. We found this in tucked in the back of her shirt," the medical examiner finished her long explanation as she handed Lisbon a photograph of a young girl sitting between two adults at a picnic table. Lisbon guessed that they were her parents, but she'd find out soon enough.

Lisbon nodded. "Okay, thanks. Keep me posted."

Just the, the agent she'd handed the tape recorder to returned it to her. "Sorry. Whole thing was completely clean, and from what I was over hearing from the others, they're not having much luck finding anything either."

"Alright, keep looking," the brunette said dejectedly as she took it back, ignoring Jane's 'I told you so' expression. So far, things were playing out exactly as the ominous letter said they would. They just had to hope that a fragment of DNA was able to be found on the woman's clothing or body as a result of the struggle.

"What do you say we listen to this tape recorder now," Jane suggested somewhat impatiently.

Lisbon sighed, feeling more apprehensive by the minute as she pressed the small red arrow on the device. There was a moment of static, and then a voice that had clearly been electronically altered filled the room.

"Good day, Agents. It's so lovely to speak to you again. As you can see, my letter was telling you the truth. Absolutely no forensic evidence is to be found at this crime scene. Also, just as as I said, there is a photo of the girl. See, I am a someone that keeps my word, and keeping one's word is a very important part of this game. Liars and cheaters never prosper, as they say. The tape you are now listening to is crucial, as it explains the rules. Listen closely, Agents, as failure to comply with even one of these rules will result in this little girl's death. I'm sure none of us want that. So, without further ado, let's begin:

Rule number one: Each place I lead you to will have one or more riddles, or clues that will help you to find her. Your job, of course, is to find and solve these riddles and clues.

Rule number two: Any demands I make must be followed without question.

Rule number three: Agent Lisbon and her team are the only people are may participate in solving the riddles or clues. Forensic evidence may be processed by anyone, unless I say otherwise.

Rule number four: Failure to solve the riddles and clues in a reasonable amount of time will result in her immediate death.

Rule number five: When talking to me, you are to refer to me as Master.

And there you have it. I don't think I need to tell you what happens if you lose. Pretty simple, don't you think? Since you're new to the game, I've decided to be nice, and give you the first clue for free. Clock's ticking CBI, better think quickly. We wish you best of luck and hope you have a pleasant night."

Immediately after the voice stopped talking, the sound of someone playing the piano filled the air. The team exchanged bewildered glances as they listened to the notes, which lasted about one minute before stopping.

The team looked around at each other in bewildered silence.

"Well," Jane remarked, "He's certainly one of the most polite and well-mannered criminals we've come into contact with."


	2. The Folkarts

****To my reviewers that brought attention to the plot problem: Thanks. Haha, I don't know why I didn't think it would be easily recognizable. I guess because I've never really watched the show haha. Anyways, I've changed things around a bit. So hopefully things will be a bit more believeable now. As always, read and review!****

****The Game****

****Chapter Two****

****The Folkarts****

**"Is that what I think it is?" Van Pelt asked incredulously. **

**"If you mean the Star Trek theme song, then yes, it is," piped up Rigsby. **

"What the hell kind of clue is that?"

"One that we'll have to solve quickly if we want to save this little girl's life," said Lisbon matter-of-factly.

"Well there has to be more to it then that," Grace said in frustration. "What? Does he want us to invite us over for an inter-galactic TV show marathon or something?"

"Whatever it is, we'll have to figure it out on the way back to headquarters. We need to get a positive ID on our victim and the missing girl. Maybe Cho found something that'll help us."

* * *

><p>Within minutes, the team arrived at the CBI.<p>

"The envelope and letter were free of prints and DNA," Cho greeted as they walked in. "No surprise there. One of the agents recognized the sticker though. She bought the same set for her daughter. Unfortunately, you can buy the stickers at virtually any Wal-Mart, K-Mart, or craft store. What did you guys find?"

"Dead woman, no I.D. Seems to be a running theme with this case. Hopefully her fingerprints are on record and we'll have her identified soon," Lisbon said as she handed Cho a photograph of the victim. "We also found this," she now passed Cho the photograph of the girl. "Our suspect kidnapped her, and he's going to kill her unless we find her in time."

"What does he want? A ransom?"

This time it was Jane who spoke. "So far, all he wants is for us to figure out a clue he's left for us. On this," he tossed Cho the recording, watching his features fill with confusion as he listened to it. "_That's_ a clue. Well, at least we know one thing about our suspect."

"What's that?" asked Grace curiously as she worked on the missing persons reports.

"Our suspect is a nerd. Should narrow down the demographic a little."

Grace rolled her eyes and Rigsby snorted.

"I got a hit on our missing girl," Van Pelt said triumphantly. "Isabella Folkart. She was reported missing three days ago. Here's the address."

"Great," Lisbon said, taking the piece of paper from Grace. "Jane and I will go talk to her parents, you three stay here and try to figure out the significance of the song. Call me the minute you hear anything on the I.D. of our Jane Doe."

"On it boss," said Rigsby dutifully.

* * *

><p>Patrick and Theresa arrived at the Folkarts residence. It resided in a small suburban town. A sullen looking teenager opened the door, his black hair slightly covering his right eye.<p>

"Yeah?"

"Hi," Jane smiled, "This is Agent Lisbon of the CBI and I'm Patrick Jane. May we come in?"

"You're cops?"

"That's right. Well, she is. I'm actually a consultant."

"Did you find my sister?"

"Not yet, but we have some new information," Lisbon informed him. "We'd like to ask your parents and you a few questions. May we come in?"

The boy stepped back slightly, although he didn't look too excited about it. "Yeah….Hey Dad! Cops are here!"

Lisbon and Jane exchanged glances as they heard a man rush to the door. "Have you found my daughter?" he gasped out hopefully, out of breath.

"No sir, I'm sorry," Lisbon answered. "But we've got some new information and we need to talk to you and your wife."

"And a few questions, don't forget about those," Jane added.

"New information? What new information?"

"Mr. Folkart is your wife here? It's really best if we all sit down and talk about this together," Lisbon said.

"She's sleeping, she hasn't been able to sleep much since…you know. "

"Could you wake her up? This really is important."

"Yeah…yeah hold on."

Jane's eyes followed Mr. Folkart as he left them at the door, clearly too distracted to remember to let them inside. "So what's your name?" Jane asked, turning to the boy.

"Corey."

"Well Corey, how about you lead us to the living room so we can sit and get comfortable?"

"Sure," the boy mumbled, looking somewhat uncomfortable. Not that Jane could blame him. He led them into the living room, taking a seat in an armchair and eyeing the two CBI personnel with mixed emotions as they sat across from him on the couch. Jane tried to smile at him in a comforting way, but the teenager merely looked at him.

"How old are you?"

"Sixteen?"

"How old is your sister?"

"Seven."

"Seven…that's a big age difference. You two get along?"

"What do you mean?" Corey asked, getting defensive.

"It's just a big age difference. Do you two fight a lot?"

"At times," Corey admitted. "I would never hurt her," he was quick to add, somewhat angrily.

"No. No of course not."

That minute Mr. Folkart entered the room with his wife. Her eyes were baggy, and she looked physically and emotionally drained. She took a seat next to her husband on the loveseat across from her son. "My husband said you have some new information for us?" she said, not bothering with formalities.

"Mrs. Folkart, I'm Agent Lisbon and this is Patr-"

"I don't care who you are," Mrs. Folkart cut her off, and Mr. Folkart looked at the two officials apologetically as he took his wife's hand. "Forgive me, I don't want to be rude," she added quickly, voice breaking slightly. "But all I really care about right now is finding my daughter. I've heard the first 48 hours are crucial. It's already been three days. If you really have new information like you say, please just tell us."

Lisbon leaned forward, not blaming Mrs. Folkart for her anxiousness. "We were contacted by your daughter's kidnapper,"

Both Mr. and Mrs. Folkart gasped. "What did he want? We'll do anything, anything," said Mr. Folkart desperately.

Lisbon thought it better to not discuss the fine details of the case. She hoped Jane felt the same.

"Right now, there is nothing you can do," the blond said calmly. "He has made it very clear that only Agent Lisbon's team and myself are allowed to have any interaction with the case."

"So then, he's not asking for money?" asked Corey.

Jane shook his head. "He wants us to solve riddles to find her, it seems. And if we can't, then he'll kill your daughter."

The family gaped at him, looking panicked. "What kind of riddles? You have to let us help!" exclaimed the father,

"We can't," Lisbon said quickly. "For the safety of all those involved." She glared at her colleague. She should have known that Jane would say too much.

"I don't give a damn about my safety!" Mr. Folkart banged his fist on the coffee table. "I demand to know whatever information you have!"

"Sir, if you want to help us find your daughter than you need to remain calm," Lisbon commanded. "We are doing everything we can. Now, do any of you have any idea who may want to harm Isabella? Any problems at work, or at school?" Lisbon asked, looking at each family member in turn.

Jane wasn't surprised at the lack of answers they received from the family. The letter to the CBI was much too personal. No, he didn't think this case had anything to do with the family at all. Isabella was just in the wrong place at the wrong time, as simple as that.

Lisbon showed the family a photo of the woman they found at the warehouse. "Your daughter's picture was found in the same place where we found this woman. Does she mean anything to you?"

"No. Was she-Did she help to kidnap Isabella?"

"We're still investigating, we'll let you know as soon as we can."

"You know something, don't you?" Jane stated, looking at the boy closely.

Corey shifted uncomfortably in his seat. "It's just...she looks a little familiar, but I can't remember where I saw her."

"Were you with your sister when you saw her?" Jane asked.

Corey sat up as realization dawned on him. "I think it was at the park, she had a camera. She was taking pictures of the area. I figured she was just some weird artsy type trying to pretend she was a photographer. She looked all...skittish and stuff."

"Did you see her taking pictures of your sister?"

Corey shook his head. "If I had seen that, I'd have told her to her to get lost."

Lisbon nodded, and the two agents were careful not to exchange glances. "We appreciate the information, and we'll look into it." She stood up and handed Mrs. Lockart her card, "If you think of anything else, don't hesitate to call."

* * *

><p>Back at the CBI, Van Pelt stared at the bawling woman, having no clue what to do. The DNA results had come back for the the murder victim, identifying her as Irene Finkle. Now, Van Pelt was seated across from her hysterical aunt, trying to console her while at the same time trying to get useful information. Never an easy task.<p>

"I just don't understand why things like this happen," sobbed Mrs. Finkle "One minute you're here, and the next you're—you're-you're-"

"I know, it's tough," Van Pelt said comfortingly.

"I just don't know what I'm going to do without her," the elderly woman cried. "She took care of me."

"Once again, I'm truly sorry for your loss. If you could answer some of my questions, it may help catch who did this to her."

"Questions. Those are abstract things that I now have the ability to answer. Never again will I take that ability for granted," she said, launching into a fresh wave of tears.

The young agent sighed quietly. It was going to be a long night.

* * *

><p>Rigsby and Cho sat at their desks in the bullpen, trying to make sense of the team's first clue.<p>

"Do you think it could have something to do with where he's keeping her?" asked Rigsby.

"You thinking he's got the Enterprise hidden somewhere nearby?"

"No, but what if he's near a comic book store? They sell Star Wars comics. It may be worth looking into," he typed some information on his computer. "There are two near the crime scene. One within twenty minutes and another one just a few blocks from it."

"It's worth a shot," said Cho, grabbing his coat as they headed to the elevator.

Twenty minutes later, they found themselves walking into Empire's Comic Cellar hoping to find some answers. They walked past the colorful display of comics and up to the register.

"Can I help you?" asked a woman who was more attractive than Rigsby or Cho would've thought.

"I'm Agent Rigsby, this Agent Cho," he said as they flashed their badges. "We were hoping you could answer a few questions."

"Okay," said the clerk uncertainly. "What's this about?"

"Have you seen this little girl?" Cho held up the photograph.

The clerk looked a moment and shook her head. "No, sorry. Who is she?"

Cho ignored her question. "Have any of the other employees been absent? Any take unexplained time off work?"

"Not that I know of."

"Do any of your customers seem obsessed with Star Wars at all?"

She blinked at the strange question. "It's hard to say. I guess everyone has their favorite series. There's actually an event going on at the new planetarium, if you two are interested."

"What event?"

She handed them a pamphlet. "The new planetarium opened a new Star Trek exhibit a few days ago. A few of our clients have gone and said that it's pretty cool. You should check it out if you have time."

Cho looked at his partner. "I think we found the location of our next clue."

Somehow, neither one had a good feeling about going there.


End file.
